SeQUeNCe: Simulator of QUantum Network Communication

Quantum networks promise to deliver new, revolutionary applications that include distributing cryptographic keys with provable security, solving distributed computational tasks with exponential reduction in communication complexity, or synchronizing clocks with unprecedented accuracy to name just a few. Recent breakthroughs in quantum engineering have allowed experimental realizations of quantum network prototypes that are supplemented by commercial efforts in the network security arena. Prototypes of metropolitan quantum networks with multiple nodes are currently under construction in several countries (for example, the US, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Japan). One of the most significant engineering challenge is building networks that scale both in the number of users and communication distance. Achieving this goal requires a combination of advances in hardware engineering, standardization of new network architectures, development of robust control plane protocols, and techniques that allow reproducible performance testing.

Quantum network simulations can help in understanding the trade-offs of alternative quantum network architectures, optimizing quantum hardware, and developing a robust control plane. As the size of experimental networks grows and new protocols and technologies are developed, the need to use simulations to model the behavior and interactions of these complex systems increases. The Simulator of QUantum Network Communication (SeQUeNCe) is a customizable discrete-event quantum network simulator that models quantum hardware and network protocols. Since the community has not yet agreed on the architecture of the quantum internet, we do not impose a rigid layering structure. Instead we introduce a modularized design of the simulator that separates functionality at different network layers into modules. This modularized design allows the testing of alternative quantum network protocols and hardware models and the study of their interactions. Our simulator design also allows easy customizability. SeQUeNCe is freely available as open source on GitHub, allowing users to test the performance of new algorithms, protocols, and devices by implementing new functionality in Python and running one of our built-in benchmarks.